


It is just nail polish, John

by cumberbee



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Fluff, John likes nail polish, M/M, Nail Polish, One Shot, Sherlock is a supportive husband, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cumberbee/pseuds/cumberbee
Summary: John has been carrying  a little secret ever since he was a teenager: he would 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 to try and wear nail polish. Sherlock, of course, notices.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	It is just nail polish, John

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first time writing a fic in English sooo, sorry if there’s any mistakes. Any grammatical correction or constructive criticism is welcomed! Hope you like it <3

John was in the queue at Tesco waiting to pay, which was totally normal. Which wasn’t usual at all was the fact that Sherlock was there too. “ _We haven’t had a case in days John. Not one worth my time anyways_ ”, Holmes had said; which made the situation quite more understandable, John thought, yet it still remained weird.

Sherlock was deducing two girls in front of them, who were looking at the nail polish section. The detective was pointing out how one of the girls was _clearly_ in love with the other, but was afraid to ruin the friendship since they had been friends since childhood. John was definitely _not_ listening to his husband. Instead, his gaze was completely fixed in the different shades of nail polish, thinking how they would look on him. He remembered having the same thought a couple of times throughout his life, especially when he was younger. He knew that a man wearing nail polish wasn’t much of a big deal nowadays as it was back when he was a teen; but then, he was 47 years old, not a bloody teenager.  
The thought kept rambling on his mind though. At this point he was pretty tempted to just go and grab that black nail polish that he has been eyeing for the last couple of minutes; or maybe the fuchsia, though that light blue...

—John! I know you haven’t listened to a single word of what I’ve been saying for the last two minutes and 34 seconds, but you could at least pretend. You are married to me after all.

—Hum...? Yeah, yeah, sorry baby, I just... I don’t know, I just kinda went blank for a moment, sorry sweetheart. What were you saying?

Sherlock just rolled his eyes, smiling —. Nothing much. It’s our turn, let’s go and pay, a wanna get home and hug you while we watch crap telly and you caress my hair —he said.

—Bond night?

The curly haired man sighed—. If we must...

John low-key thanked the fact Sherlock hadn’t noticed that he was staring at the nail polishes. Or maybe he did and just decided not to comment on it. Anyways, he was absolutely not going to start wearing nail polish in his late forties, so there was no point in giving it much of a thought.

Sherlock had, of course, noticed and taken note on the matter.

* * *

  
Some days later they were peacefully having tea with Mrs. Hudson when Sherlock commented:

—Is that a new shade Hudders? The nail polish, I mean.

—Oh, yes dear, it’s dark purple, I’ve been told it suits me.

—It does indeed. What do you think, John? —Sherlock said, sipping his tea just after the words came out of his mouth.

_Shit_. He couldn’t just _ignore it_. ‘Course no, he’s bloody Sherlock Holmes, he can’t just ignore it, can he?—. Huh, yeah, it’s lovely —he simply said. Good, no need to be detailed about it Watson.

—You can borrow it anytime you want, Sherlock —the old woman offered—. I honestly never thought you’d be the type that wears nail polish, but I think it’s kind of a fashion trend isn’t it?

—Oh no, no. I don’t think nail polish would suit me to be honest. But yes, it is more common to see men wearing it these days, a little progress there fortunately —he answered.

—‘Live and let live’, that’s my motto —Mrs. Hudson said with a smile—. What do you think about it, John? You are a bit more conservative for that kind of thing, aren’t you?

Great, apparently his nervousness was actually showing up—. Ehhh, no, no, not at all. I mean, erm, I think it looks pretty, you know. Men, women, it looks fine in everyone —the doctor expressed. Mrs. Hudson just nodded and drank her tea. Meanwhile, he glanced at Sherlock, who was looking at him and giving him the tiniest, but sweetest, smile. He knew this wasn’t the end of it, just the beginning.

  
  


* * *

  
—God, you are still thinking about it? —he said the next morning.

—Hmm? —Sherlock arched his eyebrow, gaze still fixed on the newspaper he had-not-been-reading since they sat down to have their breakfast.

— _You know what I’m talking about_ , Sherlock.

—I assure you I do not, John. Please, enlighten me —he looked up at him, pretending to be curious.

John sighed—. _Sherlock_.

—John —he answered, calmly. The newspaper was now closed and totally forgotten. They were having this conversation, John liked it or not.

—It’s about the other day innit? At Tesco.

—The girls you were staring at? I genuinely wasn’t jealous about it, but now that you mention it...

—Not the bloody lesbian couple Sherlock —he said raising his voice a bit; not angry-like, just a bit tired of the conversation.

—First of all, I told you, she was too afraid to tell her friend. In second place... if you weren’t staring at them, then what were you staring at? —at this point the situation was kind of comical. Sherlock pretending to be having a hard time trying to figure it out, and John failing at containing his amusement at his husband’s funny faces.

—The nail polish you moron! —he said laughing.

—Oh, ‘course! Mmm, I think black will fit you, maybe one nail in that fuchsia shade, for a pop of colour —Sherlock advised, and John laughed harder. The other man went along with him; and when they calmed down he took the doctor’s hand.

—You shouldn’t feel embarrassed John, it’s just nail polish. What's the worst thing that could happen, you not liking it? You just remueve it and that’s the end of it—. John flushed and pressed his lips together, avoiding Sherlock’s eyes

—There was a moment in which that wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. There’s was a moment in which the worst thing that could happen was being shouted, maybe kicked, for ‘being a faggot’ —the shorter man said, staring at their united hands—. That still happens probably. It wouldn’t happen to me maybe, but it still happens. And people would talk.

—Let them —Sherlock caressed his wrist with his thumb. John looked at him.

—It’s stupid —Watson said.

—It is not —John just nodded, licking his lips.

* * *

The following week John was in the queue at Tesco. He grabbed two shades of nail polish and went home. Sherlock painted his nails, black for all of them except for one, the one on his ring finger, which was painted with the fuchsia shade; and then repeated the process with his other hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Well,,,, I HAD to to this. John Watson wearing nail polish has been living in my mind rent for free for months now hhsjshs. I hope you’d liked it, see ya(?
> 
> Btw, gracias Juani por hacerme de beta reader ah, tkm trola <3


End file.
